SasuHina: One-Shot Collection
by jiemae
Summary: A collection of one-shot's that I'll be writing and posting when I need to relieve stress. [SasuHina] Includes: Something Sweet (One-Shot Ver.) and Thank You (2013 Ver.)
1. Punishment

**Punishment**

* * *

Sasuke couldn't help but gaze at his girlfriend, with a small frown, as she got comfortable. That wasn't really an issue, Hinata being comfortable was a good things. In fact, it meant good things for him when she was at ease. The problem, however, was that she was laying on _top_ of him, reading her book with the tiniest of smiles crossing her lips. He narrowed his eyes.

If she was doing this on purpose...

"Hinata," his voice was stiff, monotone as usual but he didn't feel as such. His girlfriend had the easiest time in the world making fun of him, much to the shock of those around them.

"Hm?" Hinata looked up, her feet playfully kicking the air. Since when she had gotten so bold was beyond him. Considering just a few months ago she was stuttering and now... now she was just messing with him. _Bullying_ him.

"What are you doing?"

"Reading," she replied with blandly. Despite that her lilac eyes were still glimmering. Sasuke growled, coming to place his hands on her thighs. Which brought up the fact that she was wearing particularly short, tight, shorts. Hinata released a gasp as he swiftly came out from underneath her and came to hover over her. She looked surprised, but the smile that soon danced on her lips told him that she didn't seem to mind this change of events.

"Are you doing this on purpose?" Sasuke found himself asking as he dipped his head in close to her neck, his breath cascading down. He lingered there, listening to the gasp that Hinata released.

"I don't know what your talking about?" Hinata's voice rose in pitch. Sasuke leaned away, obsidian eyes locked on the Hyuuga.

"You're doing this to me on purpose, Hinata," Sasuke's voice was matter-of-fact.

"So what if I am?"

"Then, you're in for punishment," The Uchiha then wasted no time as he scooped her up, his lips finding her neck easily. Her laughter tickled his ear in a way that sent shivers down his spine.

She was in for some severe punishment.


	2. Tomato Prank

**Tomato Prank**

* * *

Hinata looked to the raven-haired boy and thought of what to make for dinner. But then, she was also feeling slightly mischievous. With a smile, she was formulating her plan while she prepared the food, and as if on cue, Sasuke popped his head into the room.

"Is dinner ready yet?" he was asking and Hinata nodded, holding up a blindfold as she walked forward. The food had already been hidden, out of sight by the genjutsu she used. She was distracting him before he could dispel it.

"It's a surprise, Sasuke," Hinata murmured, bringing the cloth over his eyes. He stiffened ever so slightly before relaxing into her touch.

"I don't really like surprises," The Uchiha informed her.

"Oh, you'll like this one." She deactivated the genjutsu as she picked up a plate of her special surprise.

"What is it?"

"Hmm, here's a hint," she leaned in closely to whisper in his ear, "it's very, very delicious."

"Is it sweet?" Sasuke asked, a look of distaste forming on his face, his mouth in a scowl.

"I wouldn't do that to you," Hinata insisted as she took a delicate bite out the food before coming closer to him to rest her lips on his. It was her to deepen the kiss for a change and from the way he inhaled sharply, it was a good change indeed. Spurred on, the Hyuuga pulled away to lick her lips, "What did you taste?"

"Something sweet," he nearly growled out.

She laughed, "Is that supposed to flatter me?" She found herself gazing at the two foods on the plate, one her favorite, and the other being his. Tomatoes and cinnamon rolls didn't usually go very well together. Yet, she had made it work.

"I suppose."

"Do you want another taste then?" Hinata asked, her voice husky, and sounding strange to her ears.

"Hn," was the response and Hinata frowned. She didn't like receiving such a half-hearted reply. So instead of feeding him the tomato like she had planned, she stuffed the cinnamon roll into his mouth. She couldn't help the laugh that bubbled forth as he stood very still.

Before he could spit out the roll and waste it, she placed her hand on his mouth and whispered in his ears, "Eat this, and you get a prize."

He chewed and swallowed, just in time for her to bring her lips to his, as she ripped the blind fold off. With a plate of tomato in hand, she pulled away. She gazed at him clearly after putting down the cinnamon rolls and gestured to the tomatoes.

"Which do you want first, me, or this?" Later on, she would blush because saying words like that just didn't fit with her personality. It seemed that Sasuke had that effect on her, being as he was just so carefree about what he said. It spurred her on to be a bit more honest with him than anything else. For now, however, she looked at him expectantly.

"You."


	3. Thank You (2013 Ver)

**A/N: **This is old an nostalgic. I wrote this on Thanksgiving feeling lonely and wanting happiness.

**Summary:** She's feeling lost, and he is there to help. In-verse, 18 years after the war. Established SasuHina. One-Shot.

**Warning:** I wrote this under an old alias and this has not been edited since original post day on November 28, 2013.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the cast of Naruto

* * *

Thank You

by Miyuusen

* * *

"_And then they all sat, their table filled with foods of all different kinds, foods like meats and vegetables, all of it oh-so impressive. Yet, the most impressive of all the glorious dishes was the centerpiece at the table: A large, roasted turkey that was cooked to perfection..."_

It was when she was smaller than she learned of the Western tradition of "Thanksgiving". She had read it in a book, the one her mother had given her the year before she died. It was a book Hinata Hyuuga treasured above the many other novels she owned. It told a tale of two groups of people, probably different clans, coming together in the end to help each other and establish trust. When she read the book, her eyes lighting up with child-like fascination, she found that she very much liked this tradition. It was something that she always wanted to do, growing up. All her life, she's been the one to lean on others for support, never really being able to repay her debts completely.

She wanted to give thanks to her loved ones. To tell her father that his constant watchful eye was something she appreciated, that her cousin Neji, with his willingness to never go easy on her, had been something she needed to learn to fight and she treasured that. She wished to tell her sister, Hanabi, who was a source of support on dreary days, that she would always be there for her and that she was so very grateful for the days of comfort and happiness that Hanabi had gifted her.

Yet, as she grew older, and her shyness, so painfully hard to beat, ruined her chances at asking for a thanksgiving dinner, she had given up on the idea. It was such a silly thing in the first place. Why would she want to celebrate something that wasn't in her culture? It was a silly thing.

Still, it was hard to fight the urge to ask this time around, especially when she found the book in her scrounging around. It was if fate was urging her to ask this of her family, to gather her two kids and husband and make them delicious foods, enough to stuff themselves, and then just talk all night, to enjoy each other's company. She longed for that, especially when her kids had found other activities to do that rivaled spending time with their mother. Her babies were all grown up and were already entering the Chunnin exams, already accepting missions and heading off into the world. Should she feel lonely? Forgotten?

No, she just felt lost.

Flipping the pages of the book, so old and tattered that it was a wonder it had survived this long, Hinata stood up from her place at the heart of boxes surrounding her in the storage room of the Uchiha compound. She had been feeling sentimental as of late, as if life was passing her by, so she found herself holding onto the past, determined to not be so lost. It was then she has found the book, the cover worn down to the point the title was , she took her finding and left the room, sliding boxes back in place with her foot as she left.

"Hinata," she heard as she was making her way to the training grounds in search of the owner of the voice. Spinning, she felt a natural smile flit it's way to her lips as she shyly kept her head bowed. She came face to face with her husband's chest as he wrapped an arm around her, comforting her instantly.

"Sasuke," she breathed, clinging onto him now, forgetting the book and only knowing _this_ present. There was no past or future, only this. Hinata nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck, standing on her tip-toes, as well as him pulling her up, to do it. She took in his scent, always a thing that calmed her, as well as made her blush.

After a brief moment, she pulled away with a small smile playing on her lips. She looked into his eyes, glad she saw clear and happy. It was as expressive as he got. Sasuke Uchiha wasn't one to outwardly express his emotions but his eyes said it all.

"What have you been up to?" He asked, he words monotone yet precisely said. He was in a good mood. If he hadn't been, his words would have been clipped and agitated said, as if speaking were wasting too much of his energy.

"I was going through old stuff," Hinata said honestly, then, because she knew he wanted more, and knew she wanted to give more, Hinata continued with, "And I found this book. I read it when I was little."

The barest raise of his brows. She laughed, and looped her arm through his as she began to lead him to the garden, finding this the perfect place to speak about her mother. Konoha was still warm, even in the fall, and even with her simple kimono on, she didn't feel even the little bit cold as she stepped out of the sliding door frame and went to sit on the bench. There, she gazed at the koi pond, mystified over the beautiful creatures that Sasuke had gifted to her just last year for her birthday.

"So," Sasuke said, speaking up after a moment's pause, "What is this book about?"

Hinata smiled as she turned away from looking at the pond to gaze at the Uchiha, "Oh, it was silly. My mother gave it to me the year before she passed, before Hanabi was born. It's a child's b-book," she informed him, surprised at the quiver in her voice and her stutter. A stutter she had lost the day she married Sasuke Uchiha.

"It means a lot to you, then," He realized, his lips forming a smirk as he leaned over to kiss her cheek, "You haven't stuttered in such a long time, I wondered where my little mouse had gone," he mumbled when he pulled away. She blushed bright red, like a tomato making him smile a real one, one that only meant the barest twitch at the corner of his lips. She blushed even harder, witnessing the love of her life becoming someone happy and young again. The wrinkles at his eyes lessened, his face relaxed, and for the barest of seconds, she saw that young boy she had used to meet during the all-clan's meeting. Of course, she hadn't been in love with him then. The Hyuuga had been _much_ too shy then, to even look him in the eye when he had been introduced to her.

Smiling at the memory, she nodded, deciding to ignore his 'little mouse' comment, "This book _does_ mean a lot. My mother was fascinated with Western culture, she liked the idea of a world that wasn't touched with brutality and pain, a world without Shinobi. She used to tell me stories when I was growing up, I can still recall the way she would brush my hair when she did so...," a small smile, "She gave me this book, saying to me that maybe one day we could celebrate something like that. So we could give our thanks. Only she died."

"Like what?" Sasuke prodded her to explain as he brought his hand to her hair, to comb through the long indigo locks. She smiled, pleased with the sensation.

"Well, Westerner's celebrate this thing called 'Thanksgiving'. It's like this holiday that came after these two clans came together to settle their differences, and help each other. It was where they would have a great feast each year at fall and they would speak, sharing gossip and fond memories...when my mother explained and I read the book, I wanted to do it too. I wanted to celebrate," Hinata said, smiling at Sasuke sheepishly.

"How about tonight?" He asked, sending her a mischievous glance. Eyes widening, she let out a yelp as she stood.

"Really?" She asked, feeling tears fill her eyes at the mere thought. As a child she had spent many nights thinking of something like this happening, usually they involved Naruto Uzumaki, but nonetheless, she felt that with Sasuke, this tradition could be _theirs._

"Yes, we can order the kids home, maybe get them to tell the oth-."

"No, just us," Hinata said, grinning, "Just our family. You can go get them from the training fields, their having a joint training session with each other's teams. I'll go shopping for food supplies."

Sasuke let out a low groan, "That means I have to see _him,_ and her." Hinata could see the smile in her husband's eyes when he had said the words.

"Well you haven't seen Naruto in a while and I'm sure Sakura misses you and your scowl," she said to him, then grinned when gave a her passionate kiss to the lips.

"My wife, the voice of reason," he muttered against her mouth. She gave him a quick peck before pulling away.

"Hurry! Daylight is wasting!" Hinata informed him, laughing joyously and freely as she hurriedly began to walk away.

"Fine, fine, you troublesome girl!" The only reply he got was another laugh.

* * *

_Thank You_

* * *

Sasuke walked to the training fields to retrieve his kids without making much of a sound. He could still hear his wife's beautiful resounding laugh and see her shining and brilliant smile. It was enough motivation, those gifts were precious things. When he had first met the mousy girl, she was nothing like that, nothing like the free-spirited and honest woman that he had taken as his bride, no less than fourteen years ago. It was odd how things turned out but that was a musing for another time.

Smiling a small smile, the Uchiha made his way into the forest, walking the familiar path as he, with little time taken up, entered into a clearing, the one he used to be in when he was child. At first, when he finally decided to move back into the compound with Hinata in tow, the ghosts of his family had constantly plagued him, but he had her, her who changed everything. He no longer saw the imaginary blood-shed, nor the haunting memories of interactions he had had with the people of his compound. No, he only saw Hinata smiling.

She had somehow made this unsacred lonely desolate place into a place for them to be happy with their children, Harue and Itachi. Both of them had been named after the people they most loved and regretted. Her mother and his brother. Their personalities could be said to be similar to their namesakes. Itachi was a quiet boy who excelled at everything he was needed to do and did his best to keep the peace. At the age of 13, he was well beyond his peers yet held himself back for his twin, Harue. Now, _she_ was a handful. Just like Hinata's mother was said to be, Harue loved the Earth. She was always planting something in the backyard with Hinata and despite her weak heart, she was excitable, passionate about life and did her best to make sure everyone in the room was happy, _everyone_.

The kids took after their parents in some ways, yes. Itachi had that terrible stutter when he got nervous, and Harue had the tendency to block everyone out once she got the barest hint of anger. She held on to grudges just like her daddy and Sasuke was never sure if this to be a bad thing or just another thing to love about her. But he decided for the later, for if there is one thing you should know about Sasuke Uchiha, it is that he loved his kids, and would, without a second thought, die for them.

"Daddy!" Sasuke heard Harue's voice call out as he felt a weight land upon his back.

"Hey there, darling," he greeted as he picked her off of his back and spun her around to face him. Lilac-tinted eyes met his, the Byakugan a clear trait of hers, as he set her down.

"Ta-kun was a total show-off today," Harue pouted and Sasuke released a small chuckle.

"Where is he? Your mother wants us all home for dinner tonight," he said, looking around the large vast clearing. His eyesight wasn't as good lately but after Hinata made sure he wore glasses when he needed to, at least he could recognize his son flashing up to stand in front of him.

"See! Can't he walk like a normal person?" she questioned with an eyeroll.

"Nice speed there, son," Sasuke complimented, impressed with the advancement of skill he just witnessed, "How much faster from last week? Five seconds?"

"8 seconds," Itachi informed him, his voice clear and calm as he gazed up at his father with dark black eyes, the eyes of an Uchiha. Sasuke was glad that his son's stutter only came out when he was under duress. He had seen how bad Hinata's speech impediment had been for her and couldn't wish that on his child.

"Nice," he replied, just as he felt his back was hit. Turning, he came face-to-face with Naruto Uzumaki, the Hokage. Finding himself smiling a small smile but wishing to hide it, he muttered, "Oh it's you, loser."

"Ah, my heart! You wound me so, teme!" Naruto replied, his eyes bright. They hugged briefly and as Sasuke pulled away, still wary of contact with people other than his wife, Naruto announced broadly, "It's been too long! Join us in training!"

Seemingly by chance, Naruto became the leader of the new Team 7, all consisting of his son, Itachi, and a slightly aggro villager named Kikuo-something. On the other hand, Naruto's wife, Sakura Haruno, became the leader of Team 8, in charge of Harue, an Aburame, and an Inuzuka. It was as if the past were repeating itself but surely this was a good thing. Hinata was always so passionate in her belief that the new generation would become stronger than the last, and would always bring peace. Sasuke didn't have as much faith in that ideal but it was something nice to think about.

"I can't. Hinata wants to spend some time with the kids so, if it's allowed, I'd like to take my kids back home."

"Aw, man! How 'bout just a few minutes?" Naruto begged.

"Idiot! Sasuke is obviously busy," Sakura said, smiling at Sasuke as she simultaneously shoved Naruto, sending his body deep into the Earth, leaving only his head above ground.

"Sakura!" Naruto complained, about pout, when she lifted him back out of the ground without breaking a sweat. Harue cheered at the demonstration even as Naruto groaned.

Sasuke felt his lips twitch and then he patted off Naruto, none too gently, as he said, to Sakura, "Hinata wants our family to spend some time together before the Chunnin exams."

Sakura grinned, "Would it hurt to have some guests?"

"Yes," Sasuke said bluntly, "She said, and I quote, 'Just us.'," and then because manners are a must, "Sorry."

"No," Sakura waved off his nonexistent worries, "It's fine. I saw her yesterday at Ino's shop and she was looking as if she might need some cheering up."

Sasuke nodded. He had thought the same thing yesterday morning when she greeted him with a small melancholic smile, instead of the bright grin she usually presented each morning. And the Uchiha knew why, as he had learned early on in their relationship. The fall, when the leaves begin to change color, and the air grows bitter, was when her mother had died, leaving Hanabi in her place.

"Well, tell her I said hi!"

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, "Tell her that if she needs a hu-."

"She has me," Sasuke finished for his best friend with an agitated tone to his words. After all this time, long after he got the girl, he was still jealous. And this bothered him.

Sakura 'aww'ed and then punched Naruto as Sasuke called to his kids, who after they witnessed Naruto's "grounding", had gone off to say their farewells to their friends. They left not long after, and arrived back at the main house just as Hinata exited the kitchen, her waist length hair tied up in a large bun, and her wearing an apron. She looked... well, adorable.

He kissed her brow just as their kids went into the kitchen to see what they were having for dinner.

"No sushi?" Harue asked when Sasuke and Hinata followed after. In the kitchen, it seemed Hinata had several things on the stove cooking, and something smelled glorious in the oven. Despite himself, Sasuke's stomach growled.

Hinata shook her head, in reply to her daughter, with a grin, "Today is special."

"Why?" Harue asked, forever the curious type.

"Well, today was the day your grandmother left this world to go to the next," Hinata announced, surprising even Sasuke. He had never known the exact date of the former Harue's passing but for it to be this exact day, well it made sense. This morning, when she left the bed to get dressed for the day, Sasuke had sworn he saw tears in her eyes. And now he knew it hadn't been an illusion.

"So were celebrating just like we do for Uncle 'Tachi?" Harue asked, scratching at her scalp, and messing with her long silky cap of black hair.

"Yes and no," Hinata replied, "We celebrate your Uncle Itachi's birth, not his death. But today we are celebrating what my mother lived for."

"What was that?" Itachi asked, as even his curiosity was piqued, as it always was when his uncle was mentioned.

"She lived for her family and loved ones, and always treasured them. You, my precious Shinobi, are my whole world, and I want to say the words to express these feelings of mine, like she always wanted to do."

"The words?"

"Thank you."

_Thank you._


	4. Something Sweet (One-Shot Ver)

Decided to post to the collection as I saw no reason for it not to be there.

I don't know the original upload date, but the second upload date and official one for the one-shot version June 29, 2015.

This story is going to get a full multi-chapters fic so fans, be prepared!

* * *

**Something Sweet**

* * *

_**By BirdBoss**_

* * *

_1_

Huffing out an impatient sigh, Sasuke Uchiha found himself rolling out the dough that, after he was done with it, would be a beautifully crafted vol-au-vent* with a lemon balm filling. It was an odd thing to make a filling out of, considering lemon balm was usually used in flavoring ice cream or even making tea out of. But then his mother had this grand idea when they had been going over, and deciding on, this week's menu. She had pondered over it, and like the awful hag she was, she set Sasuke to work on finding out a way to incorporate the calming ingredient into the filling. How had he managed to do this? By carefully grinding the dried leaves, adding a small amount of melted sugar, and mixing it into the whipped cream he had just made a batch of. Not very difficult, but his mother had professed him a genius and made him in charge of crafting all 100 of the needed vol-au-vent's. His hands, already aching after the full hour they had been active, moved quickly. Lethargic actions were dangerous for the pastry shop. If he decided to slow down, they would surely not have enough time for the opening of the shop at 8.

He liked the work though, no matter how much he despised the eating of sweet things. It kept his mind distracted, always in the fog of doing his laborious tasks. His mother liked him like this: him uncomplaining as he dutifully took care of the tiniest thing on each dessert. But there was a bad thing to this little deal she had made with her son, at least for Sasuke, as the work never seemed to cease. Sasuke was kind of glad his mother was away on a business trip with his dad.

Sighing, as he prepared the dough to be cut, he wiped his the back of his hand across his forehead, wiping the stray hairs away, as they had fallen out of the clip that kept his bangs back. That millisecond break was all he got, as he soon found himself back in business as he got started on carefully cutting six holes from the spread out piece of dough.

He was so deep into his labor, that he almost didn't hear it; the chime of a bell that signaled his cousin, Shisui, had just arrived from the back. And of course, with his cousin being that of a mischievous nature, he crept slowly toward the already stiffening Uchiha, preparing to leap out and startle him in his effort. Before he even got the chance too, Sasuke quickly swiveled around, knife in hand as he pointed it to Shisui's chest. He prepared to thrust forward with it, as he had always been tempted to do when his cousin was involved.

"Woah, little 'Tachi-kun, no need to be so murderous," Shisui laughed out, scratching at his curly head of hair while holding the other hand out in a gesture of peace.

"Don't call me that," Sasuke grounded out, his eyes narrowing at his cousin with an emotion relative to hate. He didn't really like being compared to his largely successful brother, when now-a-days, he was the disappointment to his family. Ugh.

"Fine, how 'bout Ugly-Ducky-Wucky-Chan? Ya know, because of your hair?" he suggested and Sasuke resisted the urge to self-consciously touch his mane, which at the moment was tied back with a black hairband. It was the deal he made with his mother: If he didn't wear the disgusting hairnet like the rest of her employees, then he'd get to keep his hair tied back.

"Then should I call you Poodle-chan? Ya know," Sasuke said, copying the tone of voice Shisui had used, "because of your hair."

With that, Shisui clutched his heart, his face scrunching up as if in immense pain, "Oh, how you wound me, Sasu-chan."

Sasuke snorted and turned back to cutting the dough while he listed off orders for Shisui to follow. Things like, "ground the mint leaves, make the garnishes for the blueberry cheesecake, ice the éclairs*, take out the pecan pie, etc". It was the least that lazy cousin of his could do. With whining here and there, the two Uchiha's finished with 15 minutes to spare, admiring their work as they finished off with putting out the trays.

"So," Shisui asked, after they sat down in the back to enjoy a cold cup of iced lemon balm tea while they waited for 8 o'clock to roll around, "Did you get the stuff for the leaving customer's ready?" Even with the oddly phrased question, Sasuke knew what he was implying. When a customer left, they usually had a tray, or bowl filled with tiny, on-the-go treats. They were free, and usually bite sized. For as long as he could remember, he had always been the one in charge of those things, even when he was a child. Wait, especially as a child. Mikoto used to put him at the cash register, just to hand out the treats. She professed that it was good for the shop, having a cute young boy there. She _used_ him.

"Caramelized popcorn for the morning goers, and brownie poppers for the afternoon. I got done with those before I started on anything else. Like always, you dunce," Sasuke told him, annoyed that he even had to ask.

"Well, I was just had to be sure, ya know, with you losing your grasp on sanity and all."

Sasuke let out a groan as he slid a spiteful glare at his cousin, "Not you too!"

"What?" Shisui gave him an innocent blink of his eyes, "Did I say something out-of-line? I've been working on it, Sasu-chan. Honestly. It helps that I go to _college_, like a lot of other mature adults."

"Oh my god, stop." He really didn't want to talk about his issue with his college education, least of all with Shisui. He already got enough of this at home.

"And you know what? I'm getting pretty good at it, I can now speak in public without people looking at me funny. You wanna know why? Because I'm going to _college_, not abusing the fund my dear ole parents gave me."

This time, Sasuke just worked on tuning him out. It didn't work.

"And you know what? My parents respect me for it. I go home on holidays and you know what I get? A piece of sweet, delicious cake and a pat on the back. That's almost as good as a belly rub, but I've gotten plenty of those too..."

The alarm on Sasuke's phone went off, thankfully saving him the trouble of smashing Shisui's brain in with the fire extinguisher and hiding the body. But it also signaled the start of business hours. And this meant hell.

* * *

**Something Sweet**

* * *

Puffing out her cheeks and crossing her eyes, Hinata Hyuuga made the silliest face that she could manage as she tried to entertain her old editor's child. Mirai Sarutobi promptly laughed as only a child could do, rewarding Hinata for her effort. Mirai then began to play with her firetruck, sliding it across the wooden floors with a look of amusement on her sunkissed face.

"You're a life saver, Hina-chan," Kurenai breathed, coming into the room while placing her earrings in her ears, "Asuma has been wanting to get out for breakfast, just us two, for a while now."

"I don't mind," She replied warmly as she watched Mirai drive the firetruck up to another automobile, a race car this time, and seemed to trade off. She now rolled the race car up and down the stretch of floor she had most likely deemed her track. "She's a very sweet child."

Kurenai nodded and then fluttered her eyes closed, "Still, he's a handful. Are you sure you don't mind doing this? I mean, I can't even pa-."

"Kurenai-san, go out and have fun with Asuma-san. I'll look after Mirai-chan for you, no worries."

"Okay," She murmured, still looking at Hinata with worried eyes, "We'll be back before 12 so that you can meet your editor." Was it just her or was there a trace of jealousy? "Though, honestly, you shouldn't even have to go to him. I may have quit my job but you're a special case. If you need any he-."

"Is Asuma-san waiting downstairs?" Hinata gently reminded her, not wanting to get into the whole editor's mess she managed to place herself in.

Kurenai groaned, "Alright, I'll hurry."

True to her word, she quickened her pace, slipping on a pair of sandals, she grabbed her purse before heading to Mirai. After scooping her up and plopping a kiss to her forehead, Kurenai patted Hinata's shoulder as she left the room, handing Mirai off gently.

"So," the Hyuuga began, "It's just us two, huh?" Mirai nodded, looked to her toys, then back at her, indecision was clearly on her face. "It's fine, Mirai-chan, you can play a little while more... if you let me join you?"

Enthusiastically, Mirai nodded as she handed her a pink miniature convertible. She resisted the urge to coddle him when she flashed her a grin and said, "Pink is a pretty color."

"Yes, Mirai-chan, but what does pretty mean?" Hinata asked, her teaching mode flashing on as she found a suitable opening, "Pretty."

"Uh..." She thought for a brief moment, her nose scrunched up in concentration before her sparkling red eyes lit up as she answered, "Something nice to look at. Like you."

Hinata blinked before she responded, "I don't know about the last part but you're correct."

She frowned, but seemed to let it go when she suddenly exclaimed, "Watch out! This car is going to crash!"

"Oh well, we can't have that!" Hinata proclaimed, "We must secure it somehow, any ideas, Mirai-chan...?"

Her stay continued much like that, as the two played happily content with life.

* * *

**Something Sweet**

* * *

"I said that I don't need college, mom. Why can't you understand?" Sasuke groaned out as he listened to his mother nag on the phone. He stood in the bathroom, hoping to not be caught by Shisui as he had done before. Usually when his cousin had found he had been on the phone with his mother, he never let him live it down, incessantly calling him names. This time, however, would be worsened as there was the whole college issue.

"Well then what are going to do with your life, honey? Are you going to do as I ask at the shop for the rest of your life!? I somehow highly doubt that, Sasuke," Mikoto droned on, unperturbed by her son's arguments.

"Christ! I'm only 24, I have pretty much my whole life to figure this out," He rebutted, running a hand through his freshly untied hair. He glared into the mirror as he said this, as if his reflection could inform him what exactly he desired to do in this life of his.

"Your father would be so disappointed to hear this, Sasuke. Do you hear me? You can't live off of us forever!" She snapped back.

Sasuke froze, his reflection in the mirror looking surprised, his lips were slightly parted and his onyx eyes were slightly more round. Then, he quickly bit out his reply as his jaw snapped shut and he grounded out a furious, "You think I live off of you?" He scoffed, "Who do you think runs your shop for you!? Why do you think business is so good these days? You know what, if you think I'm living off of you, I'm moving out! I'm sick and tired of this bull-," he stopped right before he cursed and felt his jaw clamp shut just as he tapped the 'end call' button on his phone.

He kind of wished, for just a moment, that he had a flip phone, _just_ for the satisfaction of slamming it shut. Groaning out his frustrations, he hurriedly fixed his hair after he slid his phone back into his apron pocket. He finished up, just as a knock came at the door and a female voice call to him.

"Er, Sasuke-san, do you want me to take out the sweet turnover's* now?"

He checked his watch and then answered as he walked out of the bathroom, alarming the brunette girl, "Nah, Mika-san, I'll do it myself." Sasuke wandered off to do just that when she interrupted him.

"O-oh," she had murmured, and then when her face brightened she quickly offered, "I'll make some sauce for them... if you want, that is."

"Strawberry, it's popular around this time of year." With that, he went to the oven, putting on his gloves and then took out the turnovers with ease.

"O-okay!" She called to him and when he looked back to her he found her tripping on her feet as she did so.

An onlooker would have thought she had a crush on the Uchiha, but in all actuality, she was just that clumsy. Any person hired was usually checked during the interview of whether or not they had feelings for any of the Uchiha boys working here. Emotions usually got in the way, so the only staff here were the apprentices, people who worked to learn and got bare minimum of pay, and the full-timers, like Mika, who came in on the mornings she was needed to help prepare for the day.

Despite her clumsy, careless ways, Mika had proven herself as not only a superb baker, but as the relative mascot for the pastry shop. Her cute looks were the majority of Mikoto's reason for hiring her. But it didn't matter to Sasuke much, he barely even tolerated her. Shisui, on the other hand, treated her much like a sister. As Mika was the only other full time worker at "Something Sweet", Mikoto treated her like a daughter, even going as far as inviting her to their home for holidays.

As much as Sasuke wished to be rude to her, or ignore her really, he couldn't unless he wanted to be put under a stern lecture, by both Shisui and his mother.

As if to say "speak of the devil" or rather "think", Shisui popped into view with his terribly nonchalant expression. He waved to Sasuke before heading to Mika to see if she needed help. Sasuke watched as Mika smiled at his cousin but then shook her head while she became to mix something in a bowl.

Idiots, the lot of them were.

* * *

**Something Sweet**

* * *

It was around one in the afternoon when he finally noticed her.

He had been speaking with a customer, trying to do his duty as a pastry chef by helping them decide what they wanted from his oh-so vast collection. He offered helpful suggestions, usually concealed by the very unhelpful glare he gave them as they wasted his time.

"Do you have anything without lactose? I'm intolerant," some guy said, gripping his simmering hot cup of coffee that Sasuke had just delivered while the man tried to make up his mind on what to order. The Uchiha carefully replied, using his generous supply of knowledge to give the best answer possible. He summed it up, remarkably, with only a single word.

"Hn."

"Ah... does that mean yes?" The man asked, confusion in his sleepy eyes. He would have suggested he drink the coffee, if the man hadn't already done so, taking small sips here and there. It was caffeinated black, with multiple spoonfuls of sugar. Surely it could have woken him up, just a bit. But it didn't seem to be helping him any, at least not in his observation skills. He hadn't even noticed the list put on the chalkboard hanging above his head, even if with the brightly written words of "For The Lactose-Intolerant" popped out with neon colors. Sasuke had no time to spare for the unobservant.

"Hn."

"I still don't... under-."

"Allow me to help you," Shisui brightly interjected as he sidled up to the counter next to Sasuke, "This guy doesn't know his left from his right," He leaned closely over the counter-top as he whispered conspiratorially, "He doesn't go to college."

Narrowing his eyes at his cousin, he turned back to the customer, "We have exactly five pastries that we did not use any form of lactose in. If you're in need of a sugar rush, I would suggest a chocolate covered Choquette's* sprinkled with pearl sugar and a custard filling. As they're small, you can get a box with fifteen of them to go for seven dollars."

The man blinked, as if finally awakening, "I'll go with that then, thank you."

"That'll be eight fifty," Sasuke waited, outwardly patient, inwardly agitated, as the man fished a ten out of his wallet. He quickly deposited the cash and collected the man's change as he wordlessly handed it back. Then, seemingly in no rush, he constructed the order, gathering up the Choquette's and placing them into the box made for to-go orders. He handed them over with a polite smile, inwardly smirking at Shisui. He could do a decent job if he wanted to.

Yet, as the man turned to leave, box in hand, he was rudely bumped into by a girl with blonde hair and sparkling hazel eyes.

"Ugh, watch where you're going, old man," she told him, sending him a shriveling look as the man jumped back, coffee sloshing as he apologized, his face bright red with embarrassment. Everyone in the vicinity looked up, alarmed by her rather loud and screeching voice. She snorted at his heartfelt sorry and pushed past him as she walked up the counter, fluttering her lashes at Sasuke as she stepped closer.

He snorted, already disgusted by the girl before him. Sasuke Uchiha was many things, rude and hateful, but there was one thing he was not: he wasn't completely impolite to utter strangers.

The girl seemed to intercept his snort wrong, as if he were laughing at the old man, who was currently frozen in embarrassment. Without a hint of remorse, she leaned forward, revealing ample breasts as she murmured, "Some people can be so rude."

"Yes," he replied simply, "And you are one of them." The glare he gave her then, could have melted brick, and she immediately leaned back, her face going white.

"Wh-what?" She scoffed out.

Instead of replying, Sasuke quickly picked up a cannoli*, one without lactose, and wrapped it up, before walking around the counter and handing it to the man, who stared at him wide-mouthed.

"I apologize on the behalf of one of our ruder patron's," he said, bowing to the man, "If you come back again, I promise this won't happen again."

At first there was silence and then the man coughed out, "Thank you, young man. I'll be sure to visit again."

Sasuke raised his head after that, and the man, seemingly satisfied, left the pastry shop. Yet not before he waved to a young lady with glasses perched on her nose, sitting at the front of the shop, at a tiny table reserved for guests who came alone. She waved back happily enough, despite her odd, pupil-less, lilac tinted eyes filled with worry. When any sign of the man had gone, she adjusted herself, turning back to look at her laptop, seeming to be opened up to microsoft word.

Strangely enough, the moment his eyes fixated on her, the air seemed to freeze around him in an unsettling way as he found that he wanted to look at her longer, perhaps for hours. He wanted to take in her gentle air and maybe note the fact that her hair was a pretty color of indigo. But before he could stare at her long enough to take it all in, the blonde from earlier stomped around. She annoyingly decided that in front of him was a good place to settle as her stomping ceased and he rewarded her with a freezing glare. She gave him a glare of her own, wimpy in comparison to his own.

"Leave," he ground out before she could say a word and he swiftly returned to his place at the counter. Shisui gave him a proud thumbs-up and soon after the girl left with an air of indignation, the pastry shop returned to normal.

And Sasuke found that his eyes, every once in a while, would stray to her corner of the room and watch as she worked. She looked familiar.

* * *

**Something Sweet**

* * *

Hinata couldn't help but be worried after her editor, Iwashi Tatami, with what had just taken place, nearly an hour ago, at the pastry shop she had started visiting just last week. It was slowly turning into one of her favorite places to write, as the shop always seemed to be buzzing with activity. Her new editor hadn't deserved to be pushed around, no matter how pushy he was with his ideas for her story, by the girl with pretty eyes. She was rather rude, as she pushed aside Iwashi-san when he had just gotten his order. It had nearly spilled his coffee, and that wasn't something that should ever happen. Burns of the skin are no laughing matter. But it didn't matter anymore, she had already sent an apology email to him, wondering if perhaps he might never come back. He still hadn't replied.

Sighing, she tried to focus on something else, looking to her laptop and was suddenly awash in grief. Hinata hadn't managed to reach her word count for the day and most it had already been wasted. Lately, she hadn't been getting her set word count of 15k, and this didn't bode well for the future of this book. Flustered, she attempted to write despite the horrible block keeping her from writing out magic.

'_She felt the air around her stir, as she took a single step forward. Alarmed, she spun on her heel... only to fi-_' No, that isn't right. Her male lead should enter a tad bit later. But how? Or rather, when? Somehow the discussion she had had with with her editor earlier did her no good, as she really couldn't recall anything that had been said. Feeling as if she were about to cry, she took a quick bite out of her pumpkin spice cinnamon roll and washed it down with a quick swig of her sweetened iced lemonade. Immediately, she was calmed but not nearly as much as she wanted to be. Perhaps lemonade had been a bad choice today. Maybe it was the reason for her frustrations. A doubtful conclusion but she needed to have _something_ she could blame it on.

Finally, she stopped staring longingly at her screen, expecting this scene to write itself, and stood. Hoping to find something better on the menu, she went to the counter, waiting patiently as two females before her chatted with one of the workers, a boy with curled, unkempt black hair and onyx eyes. She thought she had heard someone call him "Shisui" but she wasn't sure as it might be the other boy who was named that.

She was there only for a minute, but before she had to wait any longer a voice called to her.

"Miss?" Murmured a deep, husky voice. She looked toward it and found that she was being watched by the one who might be named Shisui. He was slightly better looking than the other guy, with his slicked back hair pulled in a rather short ponytail. His bangs were pulled back from his face with a purple hairclip. His face was blemish free, if a little stony, and he looked to be attempting a smile. It was more of a grimace.

"Oh... hi," she murmured, suddenly feeling shy and awkward. As he continued to look at her, she felt a slight rosy color flood her cheeks as she went on, "Um, I-I was wondering..." She hesitated. Was it rude to ask for something not on the menu?

"Yes?" He inquired, looking to get a bit impatient.

"Do you happen to have a tea for calming the nerves?" She fought against her nervous habit to touch her fingers when she was anxious. And, boy, was she on edge. Hinata fought against a cringe—she really hated to intrude but more than that, she hated feeling as if she was troubling people.

However, much to her surprise, he said, "I made some tea this morning, with lemon balm leaves, if that's what you want."

She quickly nodded, "How much would that be then?"

"Nothing, it's on the house," he paused, then added, "You look like you could use it."

She nodded again, this time, wondering if she looked as frazzled as she felt, "T-Thank you very much."

He nodded, before disappearing somewhere in the back of the shop, coming back a few moments later with a cup. As he handed her it, he passed her a straw and that's when something rather disturbing happened.

Her flesh felt as if she'd been stung the moment his hand touched hers. They jumped apart, both startled.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered out, not sure _what_ she was apologizing for. "I'll be leaving now," she murmured out as she turned on her heel and went back to her table. After a few minutes passed, her heart seemed to slow down and the flush of her cheeks seemed to die down. Yet she still felt a slight tingle from where they had made contact.

Shaking her head, Hinata took a sip of her iced tea, discovering it to be in a nice balance of sweet and unsweetened. For a brief moment, she wondered if that was the personality of the man who had given it to her. Perhaps. But something gnawed at her head, as if she had seen him somewhere before.

* * *

**Something Sweet**

* * *

Sighing, she sipped at her lemonade as she sat in her favorite place in the world, guiltily enjoying how the sun shone through the window of the tiny pastry shop of "Something Sweet" and warmed her skin. She still had her laptop open, half of the screen filled with words, the other being a simple blank white. On the bright side, today had been a much better day than the last. She was only 2k from her word count limit and it was barely 2 in the afternoon. It seemed as if inspiration hit her when she was under duress.

After a brief moment, she looked up at the shop clerks, eyeing the one she had spoken to yesterday. His face nagged at her, it was as if she should know his name from somewhere but no matter how long she thought about it. She would have looked at the name-tag, if there had been on in the first place. And the other clerk wasn't forth-coming with the name either, as he tended to use absurd nicknames that, one way or another, came back to ducks. It was strange.

Either way, she did confirm something. Shisui was not his name.

Hinata blinked. Why was she so interested? For now it was just curiosity but this nostalgia... She blinked again, and then looked back at her screen. She had been typing, but it wasn't her story, it was a name:

Naruto Uzumaki.

It was her highschool crush, the boy she had, honestly, been in love with since the day she first saw him when she was five. She, at first, felt a sudden painful tug at her heart and then her skin flushed. Why couldn't she get _over_ him already was beyond her. But wait, that's right, he hadn't even given her his reply to her confession. Hinata understood that he hadn't wanted to hurt her feelings, or make her cry but it had taken so much courage to do it, she at least wanted _something_.

Unsettled, she highlighted the name that she had typed in repeatedly and promptly hit the backspace.

She wished she could've done the same for when she told Naruto how she felt.

* * *

**Something Sweet**

* * *

It had been several days since Sasuke had started taking note of her. He wasn't watching her, no, but every once in a while he would look up and take in what her face looked like at the moment. Through that, he found that she had a vast array of expressions behind that set of glasses.

Firstly, she bit her lip a lot, usually when she was concentrating, or looked to be hard at work on her computer, her fingers practically flying over the keyboard as she typed. However, her face rarely ever scrunched up like his did when he tried to focus better. The girl also sometimes smiled, her lips slightly twitching as she did so, as if she had something she found amusing on that screen of hers. But there were many different expressions as well, ones of undeniable frustration, embarrassment, and sadness.

Sasuke's favorite at the moment, if you could even call it that, was the one where her face flushed a bright red, almost resembling the color of a tomato, which usually reminded himself to eat the turkey tomato sandwich he made for himself that morning. Perhaps it was weird, looking at her and then thinking of food, but it wasn't as if he wanted to eat _her._ Yet that look was oddly cute. Sasuke really didn't understand why he even took the time, however small it was, to look at her. She was hardly interesting, aside from her strange eyes.

But he wasn't the only one who had taken note of her, as Shisui had ended up pointing her out to him on a slow hour. He had said she was turning into a regular, a recent one among many of the girls who came to stop by and see the Uchiha boys at work. His cousin had noted the fact that she never came for them, however, but it looked to be the atmosphere she was there for. Which sounded weird to Sasuke. He hated this shop's air, always so clouded and filled with so much _noise_.

But another thing his cousin had told him was the order of sweetened iced lemonade, paired with an éclair as well as a pumpkin spice cinnamon roll she usually got when she cam. And as Sasuke continued his noticing of her, he saw that she usually nibbled on the roll as the day went on, and she left with the éclair in hand at 5, an hour before closing time. On rare days, when she looked to be having a terrible time, she ate both. Sasuke, strangely enough, despite his claim of "just noticing her", had taken to always making a pitcher of lemon balm tea, even going as far as to sweeten it just as he did last time, if she ever needed it or asked for it.

Since the first day, however, she never did.

He could still feel his fingers tingle when he thought of when they had touched. It hadn't been a painful sting, just a warm one that seemed to send electricity down his spine. The touch was too brief to see if it was anything like a zapper, or whatever you call them. But from what he'd observed, she wasn't the type to fool around with parlor tricks, especially on strangers.

Shaking his head, Sasuke decided that he would stop this foolery immediately, and worked on undoing whatever spell she had put on him, forcing him to "notice" her.

It didn't work very well.

* * *

**Something Sweet**

* * *

_What will this scene even be_, Hinata questioned herself as she stared at the tiny space she had cleared for something new to be added. This one was meant to be a transition, to help ease the characters into their next actions but she couldn't think of anything, her mind was blank and unforthcoming with ideas. She felt tempted to call Kurenai, to ask for help, but chided herself when she thought about how tired her old editor had been as of late, considering what a rough pregnancy she was undergoing with her second child. She was probably napping, or busy with Mirai.

Hinata sighed once again, barely more than slight huff as she started typing aimlessly on her laptop. In the end, what she had was quickly erased when she saw _what_ she'd been typing. Again, Naruto's name.

"Having trouble there?" A familiar husky voice asked and she turn from her computer, looking up when she realized the question had been addressed to her.

"A-ano," Hinata began, abruptly made of lit up nerves when she recognized one of the clerks, the one who had given her tea before, "No...?" She had thought that was the best thing to say, as when she studied his expression she found that he looked agitated, as if he didn't want to help her but felt obligated to.

"Says the girl who has just been staring at her screen for half an hour now," he muttered with dark humor as his eyes narrowed at her in thought, "You're a writer?"

She nodded, "I, um, I'm on the last novel for this series I've had on going for a while... and its difficult writing the end," But if she were honest with herself, it was frankly _more_ than that. She felt as if she were letting go apart of her own soul if she said goodbye to the series.

"I don't understand the feeling," he told her bluntly but then gazed at her thoughtfully, "My brother is an author so I know a bit about the writing process, if you'll allow me to help you out." He looked just as surprised that he himself offered her, a complete stranger, help. Hinata tilted her head to look at him again, still feeling as if she's seen him before but she let the feeling go and thought about his proposal.

"I d-don't even know your name," Hinata whispered after a moment of pause. It was his turn to tilt his head, and then after giving her a rueful smirk, he answered.

"Sasuke. You?"

"Hinata," she replied, deliberately withholding her last name, as he had most likely done.

"So? You want help? I'm on my break now, so I can spare a few minutes."

The Hyuuga was still hesitant, first glancing at him and then at her laptop. After a few seconds, she nodded.

"Now," Sasuke said, presenting a smirk as he slid a vacant chair to her little island of a table, "What's your book about?"

* * *

**Something Sweet**

* * *

**_End_**

* * *

Pastries Mentioned:

*Vol-au-vent - French for "Windblown". And to give an idea of what they look like, these delicious things are usually made by cutting two circles in rolled out puff pastry (light, flaky, leavened pastry containing several layers of fat), cutting a hole in one of them, then stacking the ring-shaped piece on top of the disc-shaped piece. The fillings are usually made to be sweet, but can be salty.

*Éclair - An oblong pastry made with choux dough filled with a cream and topped with icing.

*Turnover - Basically dough folded over dough with filling in the middle. They can either be salty or sweet.

*Choquette - A type of viennoiserie (baked goods made from a yeast-leavened dough) consisting of a small portion of choux pastry sprinkled with pearl sugar and sometimes filled with custard or mousse. A chouquette can also be dipped in chocolate or covered in chocolate chips.

*Cannoli - A tube-shaped shell of fried pastry dough, filled with a sweet, creamy filling usually containing ricotta.


End file.
